Britannica: Why were the Conservatives able to exceed expectations and win a majority?

Rayside: The biggest single factor was the increased number of ridings in which non-Conservative votes were split between the Liberals and NDP. Another was a last minute shift towards the Conservatives of Liberals uneasy about an NDP-led coalition. And a third factor was the long-term Conservative strategy of targeting particular constituencies, including those with sizeable ethno-racial minorities that have traditionally voted Liberal.

Britanncia: What does the election mean for the Liberal Party?

Rayside: This will, one way or another, require a change in leadership [Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has already resigned], and some hard thinking about how to create a distinctive identity for the party between the Conservative right and the NDP centre-left.

Britannica: Why do you think the NDP was so successful this time around?

Rayside: Jack Layton is an effective campaigner, and his positive outlook contrasted more than ever with the kind of bitterness in tone that the Conservatives had so contributed to in recent years. Quebeckers were also weary of the Bloc Québécois’ never-changing message, and yet more likely than Canadians elsewhere to be very fearful of another Conservative government. In its Quebec campaigning, the NDP also pitched appeals to Quebec nationalists that differentiated them from the other parties.

Britannica: What does the election mean for Quebec separatism?

Rayside: It doesn’t necessarily mean anything. The fate of the Bloc does not mean a decline in Quebec nationalism, though outright separatism (as always) is an option preferred only by a minority of the population. The sense of being largely left out of the new Conservative government could well keep levels of wariness or resentment about Ottawa and the rest of Canada at the same level. Many Quebeckers will come away from this election thinking that they really are out of tune with the rest of Canada—more progressive on a range of issues. The NDP’s Quebec caucus is almost entirely populated by newcomers, and it remains unclear how successful they will be in convincing an electorate that federal politics matters.

Britannica: What might the Conservative victory mean for social policy in Canada?

Rayside: Social spending programs, including any that have a redistributive potential, will continue to be in trouble, building on years of spending constraints or cutbacks. The Conservatives will largely avoid major “morality” issues, but will probably take incremental steps to signal moral conservatives that they have a sympathetic ear in the government. The government will stay away from almost all issues associated with sexual diversity, which have come to be viewed as largely settled—particularly in federal jurisdiction. They will not directly engage with abortion issues, though it is possible they will be open to small-scale changes that touch on reproduction.